It will be interesting — or disgusting, depending on one's perspective — to see how many Steeler fans will show up on the lakefront Sunday.

Steeler nation was on vacation for a recent home game against Buffalo, throughout which huge quantities of empty seats could be seen every time cameras panned the stands throughout the game.

As we settle into our perch at team headquarters to report on Steelers week, here are some of the things the Steelers are saying about themselves, hoping it's not over ... and some notes they don't like to talk about.

• Ben Roethlisberger netted 358 passing yards in Sunday's win over Detroit. This is the first time in more than 40 years Pittsburgh has had four 350-plus passing games in the same season.

• Roethlisberger is 15-1 against the Browns and 75-44 against everyone else in regular-season starts.

• Roethlisberger is 18-5 in road starts against the AFC North.

• Coordinator Todd Haley had a plan. The first two drives against Detroit went 68 and 63 yards for touchdowns.

• Mike Tomlin is 67-39 in regular season games at home (but this one is on the road, where Tomlin is 28-25.

• Among active head coaches with at least 40 games, Tomlin ranks sixth in winning percentage behind (starting at the top) Sean Payton, Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy, John Harbaugh and Mike Smith. Tomlin is just ahead of Andy Reid.

• Tight end Heath Miller is going strong at age 31. He caught eight passes against Detroit. He is close to passing Elbie Nickel (1947-57) for fifth place on the team's all-time receiving yards list.

• Jason Worilds, a Round 1 pick in 2010, might be emerging, finally. He has a sack in each of the last three games and also had three hurries against Matthew Stafford.

• In the rematch on Dec. 29, Pittsburgh will finish a season against Cleveland a fourth straight year.

• Heinz Field opened in 2011. This year's attendance average, 60,753, is the lowest since 2003.

• Ike Taylor looks at the fact Sheldon Brown is out of the league and sees that his time is almost up. Before losing the last four games of 22012 to injury, Taylor had made 135 straight starts at cornerback. He is 33.

• Brett Keisel, 35, leads the 2013 Steelers with 23 QB pressures. He is questionable with a foot injury.

• Lamarr Woodley slumped to four sacks in 2012. He has five in 2013.

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The first thing we heard Browns staffers talking about when he entered the building was Sunday's forecast. Projected high: 24.

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We asked Ben Roethlisberger if, at this point, he simply couldn't imagine ever being a Brown.